plain girl
by weirdgrammar
Summary: She's so plain. Too plain, actually, yet it's sufficed to steal his heart away. Akafem!Furi
1. Chapter 1

Requested by Anon-san from Tumblr.

**Note:  
**Honestly, I was in a dither about choosing genderbend!Furi (Furi is turned into a girl) or fem!Furi (Furi is a girl). Well, in the end, I chose fem!Furi to avoid plot plagiarism (I've already got genderbend!Kagami and genderbend!Kuroko fanfic).

Also, my version of Akashi Seijurou has a double personality, which Seijurou is Teikou!Akashi Seijurou, and Akashi is Rakuzan!Akashi Seijurou, hence the difference between two (major) personalities. And yes, in this fanfic, they're aware of each other's presence and have tendencies to have inner dialogues with each other.

**Warning(s): **Akafem!Furi, fem!Furi, errors, possibility of OOC-ness (my first AkaFuri fic!), sporadic updates (perhaps).

**Disclaimer: **Kuroko no Basuke and any reference used throughout the fanfic belong to their respective owner(s). I own only the plot.

* * *

_'Plain, but interesting, no?'_

That's the only comment Seijurou receives from his other half, Akashi, about the brown haired girl standing by the florist's display across the street in the heart of Kyoto who is staring at the row of colorful flowers.

Seijurou isn't surprised to hear such a contradict comment from the mighty Akashi. Nor is he surprised to hear Akashi suddenly throw a comment about the 'plain' girl when she came across the line of their sight. Truthfully, the girl has been occupying their mind lately. Laughable; a plain girl, Seirin's manager, named Furihata Kouki, has managed to leave her trace in Akashi Seijurou's mind, but it is the truth.

Their first encounter was a disaster, Seijurou remembers.

The Winter Cup, he recalls again, when he met her for the first time.

It wasn't really hard to acknowledge her presence despite the Kiseki's strong presence threatened to engulf hers that day. In fact, his eyes were magnetized towards her before he noticed Tetsuya.

She was standing there, gradually shrinking deeper behind Tetsuya with head down. Her face drained its color, those small brown irises darted everywhere but at him, though, they occasionally flicked to him as if drawn by the strong force lingered about him.

At first glance, she was no one in his eyes; merely a stranger, an outsider who had rudely interrupted their meeting. Akashi, too, wasn't pleased with her presence. So Akashi demanded her to take her leave immediately in a clipped tone.

But she stayed. And Akashi was immensely surprised albeit the impassive look he wore.

No, Akashi wasn't surprised receiving such a foolish reaction from her. He'd gotten used to seeing people make stupid decisions before stumbling over their own stupidity and scuttling off like a pathetic mouse, and Akashi knew she was one of those foolish humans.

What took him by surprise were her eyes. Those small irises were fixated on him, determined and firm. Her determined stare never wavered even when Akashi stared at her dead in the eyes, loaded with warnings and threats—although her petit body was trembling violently.

They, both Seijurou and Akashi, chuckled inwardly. What a foolish girl…they thought.

It wasn't until Kagami Taiga's sudden appearance she was back to no one, invisible in their eyes. She's just a plain girl, nothing more; they told themselves this and paid her little mind.

Even so, Seijurou often caught himself, or his other half staring at the plain girl. They both took in every inch of her details. The way she wrestled her way through a swarm of sweaty boys, the way she threw bottles or towels to her teammates, the way her face contorted in concern when one of them got injured, the way her eyes screwed shut praying for her teammates, or the way her face lit up in pure happiness when they obtained another score or victory.

It was fun to study her.

And little by little everything else around her grew pale and very small as if faded into obscurity. Not even Kagami Taiga's ferocious dunk or Tetsuya's Vanishing Drive could swivel his attention away from her. Seijurou tried to discover what it was that intrigued him and Akashi so. There was, Seijurou reflected, actually nothing about her appearance or dress that was extraordinary. She was often seen in a simple white t-shirt and long pants with her light brown hair pulled up into a simple ponytail. Average curves; flat chest, small hips. Natural look with thin lips and huge eyes but small irises, no make-ups.

In general, plain. A very plain girl.

So Seijurou asked his other self; _'What makes her so interesting?'_

_'I was hoping you have the answer,' _said Akashi.

Seijurou fell silent. Even his other half didn't have the answer. He found that strange. Strange in the best way, they both agreed. They were intrigued by her. They shared small chuckles at the conclusion.

Seijurou and Akashi never tore their gaze away from her ever since.

The brunette suddenly shifts, head tipping up in a thoughtful manner, and the suddenness of her movements brings Seijurou back to the present. He blinks the temporary confusion away and focuses back on the brunette.

_'Drowning in the past, aren't we?'_ whispers Akashi.

_'Can't help it,' _says Seijurou as he watches her move from one bouquet of flowers to another. _'Putting that aside, should I go and greet her?'_

_'Why, such an eager person,' _Akashi chuckles mockingly. _'I'm willing to help you if you want.'_

_'No thank you. I don't wish to see you ruin everything again.'_

Akashi snickers, knowing that his other half is referring their first encounter with the girl last year. _'I couldn't help it. She looked so scared, yet determined back then. She made me lose my mind. She tempted me to break her, to make her cry.'_

_'And that's why I can't let you handle this matter again. Not a great impression, it only drives her away from us,' _he remarks. _'Enough with the debate. I'm going to talk to her,'_ Seijurou decides when he realizes that the girl is perhaps going to leave. If he doesn't snap to, they'll be regret forever for letting her walk away.

He glances around to ensure the road is safe before crossing. Seijurou picks up his pace to a small jog, navigating through the maze of pedestrians and vehicles. He ignores Akashi's small chuckles ringing out in his head and listens to his pounding heart instead. This is odd, he thinks, to hear his heart pound loudly in his chest as he closes the distance between them with his brisk stride.

Few feet away, Seijurou slowly drops his pace. Now she's standing within his bubble, he takes this opportunity to let his keen eyes drink over her features. Dressed in the simplest summer clothes, she is rooted to her place, one arm hugging her small figure, chin between her thumb and index finger, lips jutting out in a pout, humming thoughtfully as her small irises are glued to a patch of light blue petals buried in the middle of flashing flowers.

So plain, so _human_. Seijurou is mesmerized by her simplicity.

A soft sigh from the brunette wrenches Seijurou out of his reverie. He clears his throat and says calmly; "I know I am no flower expert, but I can give you few suggestions."

She lets out a yelp and whirls to him almost immediately. Her brown eyes are wide open, clear and alert; a suggestion of genuine surprise. Then they narrow into slits as if soaking in the information, and she gives a louder yelp this time with her hands close to her chest. Her violent reaction clearly tells him she isn't expecting to see someone she's acknowledged as an enemy suddenly greet her.

"A—Akashi Seijurou?!"

That confirms everything. Right then Seijurou knows he's definitely not the person she anticipates encountering with. However, Seijurou manages a small smile. "Yes, is me, Akashi Seijurou. And you're Furihata Kouki, yes?"

She creates some distance between them and nods numbly. "Ye—yes," she answers in a wobbly voice. "Ho… how… how can I help you?"

Oh boy, he can't help smiling wider at her question. Nervous has taken hold of her, it seems. Not that he minds it. He actually finds it… rather cute. "That should be my question," he says. "You seem to have problems with choosing flowers."

"Ah, about that…" her voice trails off to almost inaudible over the howling traffic, her eyes demurely lowering to the flowers again before snapping back to him and starting to gush in panic. "It—it's fine! I—no, I mean, you don't have to bother yourself to help me. I mean, it's not really important and—"

"Whether it's going to bother me or not, I'll decide it later," he interrupts. "Tell me the details, and I'll choose them for you."

She is silent, wide-eyed. Then she slowly turns to the flowers. Seijurou mirrors her facing the flowers, inside chastising himself for taking such a cold tone with her.

_'So much for not letting me ruin our image again,' _Akashi chuckles lowly.

_'Quiet,'_ he inwardly hisses. Seijurou is glad they're not facing each other right now, or else she would've noticed the frown lines appearing on his forehead. He takes a deep breath to apologize to her in an attempt to start everything over, but her next words halt him.

"It's… for my grandmother…"

It's barely audible over murmuring pedestrians and delivered in a very shaking, nervous voice, but the melodic affection that she breathed into the very last syllable totally blows him away. Seijurou tries his best to calm his pounding heart while maintaining his steady look. He remains silent to allow her to continue, and to listen more to her soft voice.

"My… my grandmother is sick and staying at the hospital… she loves flowers, but I don't know which flowers suit her best…so…" she laughs mirthlessly and scratches her cheek sheepishly. "Well, I'm so stupid to make fuss over flowers—"

"It is not stupid," he interrupts her again in a firm tone, but this time he looks into her eyes so she won't misunderstand his meaning. "It is not stupid to be in dither about choosing flowers for your loved one. You're trying your best to make your loved one pleased, and in my opinion, it's a noble thing to do. I believe your grandmother will be happy if she knows about it."

She stares at him with gaped mouth before the surprise look melts into flustered one, cheeks flushing bright red, eyes falling to her feet, fingers fiddling with her blouse, and she stutters some incoherent words. What an interesting reaction, he mentally notes and files it away in the corner of his mind for future reference.

He angles to the door of the florist shop. "Come, I'll help you find the best flowers for your grandmother."

"O—okay!" and she shadows his step into the shop timidly.

_'Smooth,' _whispers Akashi. _'Real smooth…'_

A bell tinkles softly as Seijurou opens the door. Sweet smell of flowers grazes his nose and more colorful petals come into view. His heterochromatic eyes roam over the shop thoroughly until they fall upon a bouquet of red chrysanthemum. He allows himself to smile and ushers her to the flowers.

"This should be good," he says, pointing to the flowers.

"Chry—chrysanthemum?" she looks at him questioningly before tucking her brown fringes to the back of her ear and leaning down to the flowers. "Smells sweet! I love it!" she remarks happily with a broad smile and scoops up the bouquet. Her face lights up radiantly, excited rambles spilling out of her mouth, and suddenly Seijurou feels the atmosphere warm up lightly and warmness spread in his chest.

"Good to know that," Seijurou gazes softly at the excited brunette. Seriously, he wasn't expecting to see such an energetic reaction from her by merely recommending few suggestions. Like an innocent kid.

"Let's go to the cashier. I'll pay it for you," he offers.

That silences her for a moment and once again, nervous passes over her face. Seijurou gives a puzzle look. She cradles the bouquet closer to her chest and shakes her head in a rapid motion. "No, no, no, no, no! You don't have to trouble yourself—I mean, thank you so much for the suggestion and offer, and I do appreciate it, like really, really appreciate the offer, but I'll… I'll pay it myself."

A stubborn girl, and yet Seijurou finds himself admires another quality of her. The quality only adds to her overwhelming 'plain' charm. "It's fine. It's my suggestion, so I have to pay for it. Also, I would like to make up the rudeness I've displayed last Winter Cup," Seijurou expresses his intention in a calm, tactful way as not to hurt her pride or feelings. One incident is more than enough, he thinks. He doesn't need another incident to ruin his image again in front of this brunette.

"Oh… _that_ Winter Cup," she says in mildly surprise. "To—to be honest, that never came across my mind before you mentioned it. It never bothers me anyway."

Her answer throws Seijurou completely. Does that mean he's already forgiven without his realization? Or she has simply forgotten about it?

She adds with a grimace. "Well, if… about that incident… it wasn't your fault… er, I think? Because I was an outsider… and I interrupted your meeting with the Kiseki members… so, it was kind of my fault actually…"

"Even so, I didn't have the rights to take a cold tone with you. I'm going to pay the flowers for you."

"No, no, no, no, no," she holds up her free hand in disagreement. "You—you don't have to! Really!"

"I insist."

The conversation is, again, at an end. A silence stretches out between them. The brunette has her brows knitted in visible frown and her gaze dropped on her feet. Seijurou stares at her in full of regret, aware of his little outburst. Carefully and gently, he takes her hand in his and leads her to the cashier counter. He can feel the dainty hand in his tense up a little before he hears a soft sigh from the girl.

A black long hair girl in light green apron standing by the counter greets them with a warm smile. "May I help you, sir?" she offers.

"The bouquet," he simply says, and the brunette places the bouquet on the rosewood counter.

"Is that all?" asks the girl again.

"Yes," Seijurou begins to dig inside his pocket for the wallet.

The cashier relays the total. The machine breaks the silence between them with clacking sounds. Then she smiles at them warmly. "5800 yen."

Seijurou gives few notes to her and passes the bouquet back to the brunette. She still has her head down with her front bang covering her eyes while her fingers curl around the bouquet tightly. Seijurou doesn't like it. It's difficult for him to decipher the thoughts crossing her mind without the eye contact even if he (to be more precise, Akashi) possesses the Emperor Eyes.

There's only one thing that he knows at the moment. He has to do something to lift up the gloomy atmosphere, or he'll lose her again.

He turns to the cashier again. "Is there any chance you have a pen and a piece of paper?"

The cashier blinks clueless, once, twice, and thrice, before diving under the counter and rummaging around for a moment, then resurfacing back with the items he requested. He offers her a smile in appreciation for her help and scribbles down few numbers and words on the paper.

"My phone number and e-mail," Seijurou holds out the paper to the plain girl. The brunette throws him a quizzical look, so he goes on. "I'm not saying that you owe me or something for the flowers. But if that makes you feel bad, then feel free to give me a call for coffee or anything. Of course, it is fine if you don't want to."

Blush blossoms visibly on her cheeks. She stutters again, now with clattering teeth. The brunette leans closer to the paper, hand shaking violently. Her head snaps up at him again. "For—for real? I mean… does it not bother you to let someone no-good like me to have your number and e-mail? I mean—I'm not so important, and no one, and—"

"Take it," he smiles, and after a moment, he adds; "Please."

She sucks in breath and her shoulders heave up in surprise. It takes her a few seconds of thoughtful moment (which he regards an eternity) to finally take the paper from his clutch. "If… if you say so," then, she brings her eyes back to him with a warm smile and faint hues of pink on her face. The sunlight spilled from the door baths over her fragile, yet beautiful figure, painting her hair lighter shade of natural brown, softening her face. And the red chrysanthemums give her the feeling of delicacy and gentility lingering about her.

"Thank you so much. For everything, I mean," she whispers softly.

That radiant look… somehow it melts his heart, and Seijurou can't help smiling as well. "I should take my leave now."

"Ah, sure—sure!"

And she's back to a 'plain' girl again. Seijurou gives a chuckle and struts past her to the door. He hears her shout up 'thank you again~' in her soft voice. He glances over his shoulder and catches her at the right moment a warm smile stretching out her thin lips, giving him another gentle wave of warmness lapping over his heart.

Seijurou takes a deep breath to calm his heart and leaves.

…

Furihata is in deep thoughts.

It's so deep that her little journey through the bustling city to the hospital registers into memorial trances. She doesn't break her gaze on the flowers in her cradle until icy wind of air-conditioner touches her cheeks. Then only she realizes that she's been standing in the middle of the crowded hall of Kyoto University Hospital with people moving around her, some lining up in front of the counter impatiently, some tapping their foot in the seat or having their head lolling against their collar shirt drowsily.

A nurse comes tapping her shoulder. Furihata turns to her. The nurse smiles warmly. "Do you need help?" asks the nurse.

She shakes her head quickly. "No—no, I'm fine!" then Furihata gives her a slight bow of her head courteously with a bright red face.

Heaving a sigh at her own stupidity, Furihata makes her way to the elevator. The elevator is awfully crowded, so she has to squeeze herself into the corner while securing the flowers in her cradle, close to her chest. The sweet smell of chrysanthemums waft into her nose, bringing her back to the conversation she'd had with Akashi Seijurou.

Yes, Kuroko has told them (Seirin players, including their coach and her) about Akashi Seijurou, the former captain of Teikou Junior High and the current captain of Rakuzan High. He warned them about the formidable reputation Akashi Seijurou holds and his double personality (disorder?). Truthfully, after the Winter Cup, Furihata has totally erased his existence from her memories, and she's never anticipated meeting Akashi Seijurou again, let alone having a conversation with him.

Yet, it happened.

Even crazier, he gave her his phone number and e-mail!

After Akashi Seijurou had left, she pinched her cheek to ensure it wasn't a dream. And ouch, it hurt, like a lot!

_"You're lucky to get his number and e-mail. If I were you, I'll definitely give him a call!"_ said the cashier girl suddenly with a broad smile on her face.

Furihata turned scarlet at her teasing. And the sweet smell of red chrysanthemums dancing into her nose proved it was, indeed, reality.

How?  
How this could happen to her?  
What she has done in the past to deserve this fate?

Why?  
What was Akashi Seijurou's real intention?  
What she has done to him?  
Did she piss him off again without her realization?

Dread slides through her body as questions rush through her mind like a crashing wave. Furihata clutches the bouquet tighter and tighter she can feel her fingernails biting into her palm with her head sinking between her squared shoulders.

A soft ping of the elevator snaps Furihata out of her brooding. She reads the number within a glance—it's her floor!—and quickly skips out the elevator just a second before the door closes again. Furihata lets out a sigh of relief and is pleased with her quick response for a moment.

Padding along the deserted corridor which absorbs the dimmed sunlight filtered through the foggy glass on the doors and the soft fluorescent lights bathing down from the ceiling, her eyes drift over from one room number to another.

0412, that's it.

Furihata adjusts the bouquet in her cradle and gently slides the door open. She peers into the room, noticing the room suffusing with summer sunlight, then smiles when she sees her grandmother sit upright in bed with a smile on her wrinkled face.

"Been awhile," her grandmother greets her in a naturally shaking voice.

"Yeah, been awhile, Grandma!" Furihata walks over to the bed excitedly. She shows the bouquet to her grandmother, a little bit jumpy. "For you!"

"Ah, red chrysanthemum! How thoughtful of you, Kou-chan," her grandmother holds her hand affectionately.

Furihata's smile grows wider at her gentle touch and she returns it as gentle as it is. How much she's missed holding her grandmother's calloused hand that slowly eaten away by age and sickness. She remembers how her grandmother used to hold her hand, walking down the earthy ground in the sunset when she was young.

"Can you put them in the vase for me, Kou-chan?" her grandmother points to the white vase resting on the nightstand table.

"Sure," she pivots on her heels to the table and takes the vase. The vase isn't empty, filled with wilted white lilies. The wilted flowers drop their petals on the table, their stems sagging against the white vase.

Must be from her parents.

She smiles to herself and replaces them with the bouquet she brings. Furihata picks up the petals littered around the table and tosses them into the bin in the corner of the room. Then her grandmother's voice from the bed catches her attention and has her turning to the bed again.

"I wish I had a wine glass."

"I don't think the doctor will allow you to drink again," Furihata takes a chair from the corner and sits by the bed.

"No, no," her grandmother shakes her head. "Not for me. Not for drinking. For the flowers."

She flashes a questioning look at her grandmother.

Her grandmother puts on a tiny smile. "You don't know?" receiving more confused look from Furihata, she continues. "Red chrysanthemum does not only represent eternal love and joy, but if you place a single petal of chrysanthemum at the bottom of a wine glass, it gives you a healthy and long life. I would say red chrysanthemum is the best choice if your loved one falls sick."

Upon listening to her grandmother's answer, Furihata lapses into silence. Her grandmother keeps on explaining further, but Furihata has drifted into thinking. She honestly has no idea red chrysanthemum hides such a deep message.

And thinking that it was Akashi Seijurou who chose the flowers for her makes her heart swell. And the happy look her grandmother is wearing brings a smile to her lips. She feels warm glow in her chest and her heart skip a few beats as she recalls Akashi Seijurou's tiny smile.

Then she realizes something.

She's in Akashi Seijurou's debt.

…

That night, as Seijurou stares out the window at the blinking red blackish city, his cell phone buzzes against the study table. He lays the pencil into a rest and reads the text.

_Hi, good evening. I'm Furihata Kouki. I hope I'm not disturbing you or anything, but I'd like you to know my grandmother is happy with the flowers you chose. So I was thinking if you're okay with coffee, or anything. But it's fine if you don't want to!_

_I think, that's all. & good evening again! –Furihata Kouki._

Seijurou lets himself smile at the text. His other half is chuckling inside. Without wasting time, Seijurou jabs the buttons and sends a reply.

Then he reclines on the chair, feeling the weight settled on the pit of his stomach he hasn't realized he's been carrying this entire time suddenly disappear into the warm air of summer. He smiles wider, amused by the 'plain' girl.

…

Furihata nearly leaps out of her skin in the bus seat when she hears a notification from her cell phone in her pocket. She quickly fishes the cell out and reads the text.

_I'm fine with coffee. –Akashi Seijurou._

Reading the text, her heart accelerates again. He, Akashi Seijurou accepted her offer! And they're going out tomorrow! Thinking about going out with Akashi Seijurou gives her chills running down her spine. But she can't decide what kind of 'chills'; bad or good chills?

Furihata watches as her reflection in the window of the bus rests the cell against its thin lips with a flushing face. She can only hope she has done the right thing this time.

* * *

**A/N: **Please, do share your thoughts on this fanfic! Thank you so much!


	2. Chapter 2

**Credit: **notebooker-san, for beta-ing this story. She has done her best, therefore, any mistakes you find here are solemnly mine.

**Note:  
**Seijurou = Teikou!Akashi Seijurou  
Akashi = Rakuzan!Akashi Seijurou

**Warning(s): **Akafem!Furi, errors, possibility of OOC-ness, sporadic updates.

**Disclaimer: **Kuroko no Basuke and any references used throughout the fanfic belong to their respective owner(s). I own only the plot.

* * *

Faint vibrations ripple through her fluffy pillow, dragging her out of her slumber. With a disappointed moan, Furihata dives her hand under the pillow for her cell. She can feel warmness of the sunlight sneaking in through the curtains bath over her thighs and face. Furihata rubs the sleep away from her eyes and reads the clock on her cell.

Ten fifteen.

Too early, she early for summer holiday.

She lets the cell slide off her hand and rolls onto her side to drift into slumber again. Her hands snake around a lion plush toy, and she has a contented smile plastered on her face. Furihata had a nice dream that morning. A dream about chrysanthemum flowers, about a certain redhead with a tiny smile stretching his lips and a pair of beautiful heterochromatic orbs—

Heterochromatic orbs…

Scary heterochromatic orbs…

Her smile falls.

"Oh crap!" Furihata snaps open her eyes, yanking herself up.

She promised Akashi Seijurou coffee today, and now she wakes up super duper late! Akashi Seijurou is so gonna kill me, Furihata thinks as she frantically climbs out of the bed.

Distracted by whirling thoughts, Furihata doesn't realize her hand lands on nothing but air until she tumbles down the bed and her jaw hits the floor, hard. She groans painfully, loudly.

Her aunt's worry voice comes muffled from downstairs. _"You okay, Kou-chan?!"_

"Fine! I'm fine!" she replies loudly, but in a light tone.

Her eyes hop up to the clock on the wall. A panic thought erupts in her mind. Furihata quickly scrambles up to her feet and bolts for the door. _'Clothes!'_ flashes across her mind a second before she clasps the doorknob, and she sprints back to the dresser. She claws through the dresser for a suitable dress. Should she wear skirt, or blouse, or—

Ah, screw it, Furihata curses inwardly. She settles with the clothes her eyes manage to catch within a second; a simple light orange blouse and a pair of blue jeans before stuffing her cell and purse into her bag, then throws the clothes to the bed. With an image of impatient Akashi Seijurou keeps flickering over in her mind, Furihata bursts into the toilet and quickly washes her face and brushes her teeth. Sparing a glance at the mirror, she finds her hair sticking out in the weirdest possible ways.

Furihata grunts under her breath; "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

_"Going somewhere, Kou-chan?"_ her aunty shouts from the downstairs while Furihata is running along the corridor to the room again, her fingers clumsily combing the bed hair. The door is banged close behind her so loudly Furihata almost jumps a few feet in the air.

"Yeah!" her reply hangs across the rooms as she struggles to peel off her pajamas.

_"Don't forget to eat your breakfast!"_

Her blouse stops in midway to her stomach. "But I'm so freaking late now!"Furihata screams exasperatedly, slipping down the blouse and into the jeans after.

_"No excuses, young lady!"_

She picks up the bag off the bed. "Fine! Just a slice of toast, though!" Furihata is already on her motion to race down the stairs to the kitchen.

It's a simple double-storey Japanese house, but Furihata likes it better than her family house in Tokyo. Compared to her house located in the middle of bustling Tokyo city, her aunt and uncle's constant presence has this house homey feeling lingering lightly, warmly in the air. The rich, warm smell of breakfast enveloping the house, rising effortlessly through the wooden walls and paper-shoji doors and swirling up the stairway, evokes memories of her happier childhood days.

Furihata puts on a smile for the memories, for the breakfast, and for her aunt and uncle sitting in the dinner table while trying to catch her breath.

"Someone looks cute today," remarks her aunt over the traditional Japanese cup.

Her uncle pulls down the newspaper and raises a brow. "A date?"

Bright red splashes onto Furihata's face. She begins to stammer. "N—no. Just… hang out—I think?"

"_I think?_" reiterates her aunt with slightly teasing tone. "Then it's a very cute boy, alright."

"Aunty!"

Her aunt brings up her hands in surrender. "My bad," then, she gives a chuckle. "Thought you're already late. Shouldn't you get going by now?" her aunt reminds her, thrusting a slice of toast in Furihata's direction.

"Yeah, right!" she snatches the toast before clumsily juggling it around to ease up the burn pricking at her palms. She dashes for the front door, letting the toast dangle hotly on her lips as she slips on her sandals.

With a loud good-bye for her aunt and uncle, Furihata starts to sprint off, inside praying to the gods to spare her life from Akashi's Seijurou's wrath.

…

Seijurou leans against the wall of the bus stop and looks at his wristwatch.

A quarter before eleven.

The plain girl named Furihata Kouki is late. His foot is tapping against the pavement and his left fingers are drumming on the folded right arm. The weather is scorching hot, but his mind stays positive – although there are twisted thoughts lurking in the corner of his brain, but he chooses to shove them away. Occasionally, his sharp gaze flits over the crowded street, looking for any sign of the plain girl among the moving pedestrians. Sometimes, fear of missing her from his sight runs through him. The brunette is so 'plain' that he thinks she might be easily lost in the middle of the crowds.

_'Laughable,' _Akashi's voice rings out in his head to dismissive the thought. _'She's no Tetsuya. Just plain, not invisible.'_

_'Semantics,'_ says Seijurou. _'Even if she's not invisible, but walking in the middle of these flashy-fashioned crowds, a plain girl like her could be easily missing as well.'_

Sweeping his gaze over the bizarre-fashioned people with Seijurou's sight, Akashi laughs. _'Agree.'_

A vibration in his pocket halts his inner conversation. Seijurou's heart thumps harder, expecting to see the plain girl's name, but his face darkens when he glazes over the name of the sender.

_Congrats for becoming Furihata-san's friend. Please take care of her for us. –Tetsuya._

A dark chuckle falls down Seijurou's lips at the text. His fingers quickly pound around the screen to write a reply.

_'Wow, a wish from Tetsuya? That's rare,' _his other half chuckles lowly.

_'No, more likely a warning,' _Seijurou corrects his other half, successfully reading between the lines. After a few second of typing away, Seijurou shoots off the reply to his former teammate's number.

A collective of gasps and yelling from the corner of the street rivets Seijurou's attention from the cell. His head lifts, and a second later, so does his heart when a sight of the plain girl sprinting towards him comes into view while a string of apologies pours out of her mouth for the pedestrians she butts shoulders with.

Seijurou opens his mouth to slow the girl down but instantly clamps it shut as the girl stumbles over the cracked pavement and her chin makes a loud, painful contact with the ground. The brunette groans loudly, Seijurou can't help but mentally wince at the sight.

An awkward silence befalls them, complete with funny stares from the crowds.

_'What a great entrance,' _Akashi's words drip sarcasm.

_'Don't,'_ Seijurou warns his other half. He watches her as the brunette weakly pulls herself into a sitting position, her hand brushing through the light brown fringes. He eyes the giggling and whispering crowds around them before crouching down.

"You okay?" he asks softly.

Silence.

Seijurou reaches out his hand for her face, but she quickly distances herself from him with teary eyes. The brunette springs to her feet so quickly it almost gives Seijurou a whiplash following her movement. Seijurou, too, joins her standing up, no longer caring about the crowd but the girl in front of him. Then she gives him a forty-five degree bow, her fringes hanging over her forehead and eyes.

"I… I think… we should call this… off."

It's a shaky mumble, and Seijurou almost misses it, but he doesn't. Slight anger sparks in him, along with the confusion spiraling in his mind. He doesn't break his intense gaze away from the bowing girl. Instead he struts forward and tips her chin up between his thumb and forefinger, deciphering the emotions swimming behind those shaking small irises.

No rejection. Just fear.

Seijurou heaves a sigh and lets her chin go. However, he locks the small distance between them by holding on her arms firmly, yet gently. Beneath his palms, he can feel the plain girl trembling violently.

"Why?" he asks.

The brunette averts her gaze away.

"Furihata Kouki," he calls out her name firmly, above the whispers emerging from the crowds. It has her turning her head again to him, although, much to his annoyance, fear still stubbornly drifts across her face.

Seijurou takes another approach. He slides his hands down to hers ever so gently it could've been a caress and presses his thumbs into her pale skin firmly. The brunette slowly gives in, her body relaxes. Seijurou locks his gaze with hers, staring into those small irises.

"Tell me why," he breathes out patiently.

"I… I've kept you waiting… then I fell… I'm no good—oh god, believe me, I'm just gonna embarrass you…"

"And how can you be so sure about that?"

"I fell twice already! At home and here. And actually, I missed this stop earlier! I… I'm so clumsy…" her voice trails off at the end of the syllable.

Seijurou allows his eyes to drink over the girl in front of him. Messy hair, a simple summer outfits (again), bright red face, clammy fingers curling tightly around his hands. The anger that consumed him earlier now subsides at the plain (but rather cute) sight. Somehow, his heart feels lighter knowing this girl actually tried her best to meet him than simply gave him a text to cancel off their meeting – which he hopes the latter will never happen in the future.

"Well, we won't know about that, will we?" he holds his hand out and reaches for the girl's brown tresses, but upon the contact she flinches and involuntarily takes a step back. His hand pauses in mid-air and creases display evidently on his forehead. He lets out a sigh, placing his hand back to his side after noticing how surprise the girl looks.

"I-I'm sorry... but, uh what were you trying to do?" she straightens her posture again, shaky eyes looking up at him.

He smiles to assure her.

"Your hair, it's messy."

A vivid shock registers to her face, red adorning her cheeks. Sputtering, she reaches up to her hair with her hands attempting to make her look much decent.

"Is it too bad?" she asks.

"Not at all," Seijurou chuckles lightly, and she brushes down her hair again.

"...how about now?" she slowly lowers her hands.

Seijurou allows him a small chuckle. "Let me," he inches closer, hand reaching out to her.

This time, the girl didn't intervene and let him run his fingers through her messy hair, smoothing out the disheveled light brown strands. Her hair feels naturally silky and smooth against his calloused fingers. And her face, it dusts with bright cerise, but Seijurou can see the subtle satisfaction glowing on the flushing face, eyes fluttering close demurely; a perfect picture of serenity. A smile curls up his lips. He could toy with her hair and watch her contented face for the whole day if he's allowed to.

Seijurou is well aware that they're making quite a scene in the middle of Kyoto, but his whole attention is now for the plain girl and her only. Even so, as much as he enjoys watching her serenity face, he doesn't forget the real purpose of their meeting today. It takes him a considerable amount of wits to force the words out of his mouth. "Let's go now. I'll walk slowly so you won't fall again."

Surprise registers on her face, those eyes snap open again. "Eh?"

"Or you prefer to stay here and continue this drama show for them?" he jerks his head to the crowds around them.

The brunette gives a quick glance around her before lowering her head again with a pink face. She splutters some words of 'Fine, let's go, let's go!' and closes the distance between them with her small frame and the bracing of her hands on his chest.

Both Seijurou and Akashi chuckle lightly. Then Seijurou leads their way to the café.

…

Efish café; the only café in Kyoto that Akashi Seijurou favors of, not for its coffee, nor for its tiny splash of Western culture in the middle of traditional city but for its absolutely breathtaking view. With glass walls that overlook the Kamo River on one side and the Takase canal on the other, Akashi Seijurou loves to observe the rhythms of the city and its waterways while sipping on his warm green tea.

Seijurou and Furihata are greeted by a waiter with a warm smile. The waiter ushers them to a rosewood table, completed with cocoa-colored plush chairs by the window. The windows are open widely and a breeze washes over them as they take their seats.

Seijurou watches the brunette intently as she thumbs through the pages of menu, biting her bottom lip. Somehow he loves to scrutinize her, tracing each strands of her light brown hair hanging over her forehead and her thin pink lips with his keen eyes, mapping them vividly into his mind. A sharp intake of breath is heard from the girl and she lifts up her head to level their eyes.

"I… I don't know which to choose… they look so weird," her brows are knitted into frown.

"Which one do you prefer?" Seijurou leans across the table. "Local or western?"

She shrugs. "Er… western, I guess? Never try it before."

"How about hazelnut macchiato? Not too bitter, not too sweet."

"Sounds… okay to me," she sinks her head between her shoulders, eyes darting away to the window.

"Okay is not enough," Seijurou reclines on the chair, his voice firm. "You must be sure with your choice."

"How can I be sure if I never know what it tastes like?" she questions him under her breath, but it doesn't miss from Seijurou's hearing. "Of course I'd be skeptical or unsure about new things," she frowns like a child.

Seijurou doesn't retort, just staring at her.

Has the waiter not been standing there, Seijurou would've burst into a fit of laughter. She has the point, Seijurou secretly admits it, and it's supported by his other half. She's not a total idiot or coward, after all. When she snaps to, she's going to stand up to it, Seijurou concludes. He remains composed, eyes zeroing in on the brunette sitting across the table until the waiter calls out to him courteously. He tilts his head a little to the waiter with a slight smile.

"A green tea and a hazelnut macchiato for the lady."

At his casual remark about the brunette, she turns pink immediately. The waiter gives him a knowing smile.

"Anything else, sir?"

"A slice of cheese cake, also, for the lady."

By then the brunette has shrunk in her seat with squared shoulders. Seijurou no longer takes notice when the waiter has taken his leave, instead giving his whole attention to the girl. She keeps amusing him with her reactions. Just a simple remark, she's already brought her head down and the tip of her ears tinged red. And he knows they're all genuine, not fake like other girls always do. Seijurou begins to ponder what her reactions will be if he teases her more.

To his surprise, the brunette throws him a question. "So, what… should I call you?"

It's soft and almost inaudible, but what amazes him so much is her courage to initiate their conversation when he thinks she's too scared to take the first step. Never judge a book by its cover, he chastises himself.

"Seijurou," he simply answers.

"Sei—Seijurou-san, then," she stammers a little.

He arches a brow. "What's with the honorific?"

"Er… respect? Older, right?" the brunette grimaces.

"You're older than me, Kouki," he points out clearly and instantly settles with first name basis to disperse any formalities between them – he always does.

"Oh, right…" she draws out her words as long as the information sinks in."Wait—I'm older than you?! How did you know?!" the girl jerks upright in her seat.

Seijurou starts to dig into the facts of the brunette he's stored in his brain. "Furihata Kouki, November 8th, Scorpio, blood type O, lives with—"

"Wait a second!" she holds out her hand.

Seijurou fixes her a glare for interrupting him. Her hands instantly fly over her mouth in fear. Upon seeing her reaction, Seijurou waves off dismissively, ignoring the annoyance creeping up his spine for getting interrupted. "Never mind," he looks up at her. "What is it?"

Encouraged by his question, the brunette lowers her hands. "How did you know… about me? I'm not a player, just a manager… it's kind of impossible to have my data or anything, right? I'm—I'm no one."

"Ever heard of Momoi Satsuki?"

She nods numbly. "Ye—Yes, Touou's manager. Aomine Daiki's childhood friend. Yes, I know her."

He cracks a smirk. "Let's just say that Tetsuya's self-proclaimed girlfriend got jealous and decided to dig out the secrets of any potential rival then blurted everything out in our private website."

The brunette turns pale. "Eh? But I don't even like Kuroko! I mean, yes, he's fine to hang out with, but I don't keep any feeling towards him at all!" she blurts out so fast it fishes the other customer's attention to them. The plain girl heaves up her shoulders as if trying to shield herself away from the prying eyes.

"You don't?" again, his brow raises. Seijurou pays no heed to the surroundings.

She shakes her head in a rapid motion, more denials surging out of her mouth. "Of course not! He's protective, nice, and like a brother to me. I can never imagine myself having a romantic relationship with him."

"How about Kagami Taiga?"

"Kagami? Ho—how about him?"

"He's a strong player," Seijurou gives out his points. "Tall, has a nice look, too."

The brunette hums thoughtfully. "Kagami… yes, he's nice, a great cook, and a great player."

A dull ache throbs in his chest when he hears the praises she showers for Kagami Taiga. Seijurou's jaw ticks beneath his skin but from the girl's oblivious look, his uneasiness is too subtle to be noticed.

"But," the girl's sudden pause summons him out of his trance. "He's too stupid."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," a wheezing sigh leaves her lips. Her small irises point skyward as though she's racking her brain, looking for a suitable answer before begins. "Absolutely a basketbaka. He doesn't have anything else in his mind but basketball and food. I think going out with him only causes me headache."

"But he's nice, am I correct?" Seijurou demands for more.

"Too nice?" she grimaces, the hiss echoing between her clenched teeth. "Kuroko says something like too angelic. Kiyoshi-senpai tells me… too oblivious? Can you imagine he passed me the chocolate his fan gave right in front of them? With that idiotic smile and all, saying 'Ah, Furi, glad you're here! You told me you wanted to try this chocolate before, right?' Can you imagine that?!"

"That's…"

_'Another whole new level of stupidity,' _Akashi completes his sentence with a snicker. _'No wonder Daiki has taken interest in him. Idiot and idiot, a great combo, don't you think?'_

_'I don't think they share the same level of stupidity. Daiki is stupid, but when it comes to love, he has a twisted mind,'_ he whispers.

_'You saying the devil have fallen in love with the angel?' _Akashi laughs. _'Tetsuya should be present to witness this and write it down!'_

_'Personally, I think Tetsuya has done that so. Remember how furious he was when Daiki made Kagami Taiga sulk months ago? Sulking as in less eating in Kagami Taiga's vocabulary,' _Seijurou recalls the incident that almost forced him to travel down to Tokyo to calm a furious Tetsuya. _'Momoi was completely terrified.'_

"I know, I know," her understanding tone wrenches Seijurou out of his inner conversation. "That's why I can't do it, keeping a feeling for Kagami, I mean. He may be large and intimidating," she drawls and her hands fling open to map out an imaginary Kagami Taiga."But his mind—he's like an innocent child! Have you tried looking into his eyes?"

_'Yes, I did, and all I could see was an eager child, who was ready to pounce on me,' _says Akashi, disturbed at the memory from the last Winter Cup. _'Have you seen Kagami Taiga's smile? I thought I was going to be blind when he showed me that grin.'_

Seijurou remains silent, ignoring his other half's rambling and listening to the girl instead. The plain girl is talking about Kagami Taiga's innocence, about Tetsuya's sneakiness, about her social life that only orbits around Seirin, nothing more.

To finally hear to her bumbling pleasantries without tripping words and a hint of fear, it gives Seijurou solace and peace. It isn't like listening to Ryouta's nonsense. He discovers how much he enjoys listening to her cadence with genuine happiness bubbling beneath her words and she doesn't make any effort to mask it down, as if she wants to tell the world how much she treasures them.

"… got one time where Izuki-senpai told us about—"

"Your order, sir."

The sudden appearance of waiter has the brunette shutting her mouth abruptly, the enchanting sparkles in her eyes has dimmed within a single heartbeat. Her face morphs into a mortified look and she brings her eyes down to her laps while the waiter sets their table.

When the waiter is gone, Seijurou leans in. "What's with that look?"

"No… just that… I've been talking too much… and you—you might get bored…"

"Have I ever mentioned that I was bored?"

"No—no," she shakes her head.

"Then how could you ever reach to that conclusion?" he asks sharply.

"You… you weren't talking much?" Less an answer than a question.

"I wasn't talking because I was listening to you," says Seijurou. "Your stories, they're actually interesting."

"Oh…" the sparkles have returned to her eyes before her gaze migrates to the table with a bright red face. "Oh."

"Why don't you give the drink a try?" Seijurou suggests, hoping he can save the moment from becoming heavier (or sappier? He somehow can't tell) than it already is.

She's hesitated for a moment then reaches out her hand for the drink to bring it to her lips. Sipping it once, her eyes shoot open so wide and her hand flies over her mouth. Then she gushes in excitement. "Wow~! This is sooooo good! I mean, it's not too sweet or bitter! Just nice—no, it's great!"

The brunette continues to chatter away about the drink. Seijurou's lips curls into a smile while listening to her.

Then, again, she stops abruptly, raising a question in Seijurou's mind.

"Is there anything wrong?" he asks.

"Er… I talk… too—too much again…" she tucks her light brown bangs behind her ear uncomfortably – guiltily.

Seijurou huffs out a sigh. She's right – one-sided conversation isn't going to give their relationship a chance to progress forward.

_'And what kind of progress you're hoping for?'_ his other half suddenly shoves him a question with a hint of mockery.

_'Quiet,'_ hisses Seijurou. _'It has nothing to do with you.'_

_'We share one body, we share some thoughts about life, basketball, and definitely about her, and you're saying it has nothing to do with me?'_

_'Stop mo—'_

"Sei—seijurou-san?"

Then he feels warmth envelops his right hand. Upon the contact, his gaze hops up and clashes with the brunette's tender. Then only he realizes the brunette has been holding his hand.

And somehow it makes his heart skip few beats.

"You—you okay, Seijurou-san? You—you're spacing out," she asks in a shaking voice.

It takes him few vacuous blinks to snap back. She looks so genuinely worried, Seijurou thinks. He plucks his back off of the chair, offers her a smile,and returns the gentle grip to abate her worries. Her shoulders hunch up past her ears in mild surprise and slight fear at the contact.

"No, I'm just thinking, that's all," he assures her, reluctantly letting go of her dainty hand. "Say, ever visited Kiyomizu Temple before?"

"No… heard it's a great spot for viewing cherry blossoms, though," she blinks up at him.

"You should pay the temple a visit," Seijurou smiles. "There's a legend saying that…"

Kiyomizu Temple; a lame topic to discuss about, Seijurou knows it. There are better topics he can indulge into but the expressions she sets on her face worth it. As he shares the stories about the temple, Seijurou burns each of her expressions into his memory and is grateful for every moment he squeezes from the brunette.

…

"I've always thought that Takase canal is much bigger."

A faint chuckle escapes Seijurou. "It is a canal, not a river."

"Aren't… they same?" she asks, leaning over the bridge rail to take a closer look at the canal. The brunette makes a noise in amazement.

"Almost, but you can see the difference of their size," Seijurou smiles. "It's only several centimeters deep. In the past its water were plied by 'Takase Bune', small boats purposed-built to carry heavy loads."

"Ah…" then she leans back with her hands on the rail supporting her weight, looking at him with a smile. "I kind of like it. The view is great, with the trees lined up along the river and street, shady and calm, I love it. It tones down the summer heat."

Seijurou gives her a smile. Yes, the view is great, but nothing can be compared with the girl in front of him – evening wind whipping up her shoulder-length hair, the red cranberry sunlight pouring over the side of her profile, and a tiny, genuine smile pulling up her cheeks; it's a breathtaking view.

"The view is absolutely wonderful," he says, but definitely not directed to the canal.

The brunette looks oblivious to his compliment.

"Come, I'll walk you to the bus stop," he shifts the topic. "Or you'll miss the bus again."

Her face explodes into red. "You—you don't have to remind me about—about that again!" she screams shakily, and it earns her a light snort from Seijurou. Nonetheless, she follows him meekly towards the bus stop which located at the corner of street, not far from the bridge.

True to his words, a bus arrives as soon as they reach the bus stop. Seijurou watches her as she patters past him, but she throws him completely when she turns facing him.

The brunette opens her mouth, eyes falling on her feet. "I… thank you for today," she murmurs.

The surprise curdles into slight affection. Seijurou levels their gaze by tipping up her chin with his thumb. He leans closer. "No, thank _you_. It was a great date. I'm looking forward for another date with you."

Her cheeks pink and her eyes fly open in surprise. A silence from her shock settles between them before it's broken by the sound of hissing, indicating the door is closing. She gives him a quick bow and rushes into the bus a second before the door closes. She stands by the closed door, hand placing on the window and eyes glued to him. Seijurou doesn't tear his gaze away from her, following as the bus starts motioning forward.

Soon, the bus disappears from the horizon of his sight, and then only Seijurou looks away.

Kouki is, indeed, an interesting plain girl, he thinks to himself.

…

Pressing her hand between the back of bus seat in front of her and her head, Furihata lets out a groan under her breath.

Her heart is beating so fast it might break through the ribcage. She can't believe her own ears; date, a sacred word – not as holy as those three confession words, but close enough – has come out of Akashi Seijurou's lips out of all people, and it was expressed to her, who is probably the lamest, poorest, ugliest girl Akashi Seijurou has ever seen in his whole life.

Why?  
Is Akashi Seijurou—no, Sei…jurou-san playing with her?  
Was there any hidden camera recording them?

To Furihata, it doesn't make sense to receive such a gentle treatment from him when she has nothing equal to trade-off with.

So, why?

Furihata blushes harder remembering the last words he gave to her.

Another date…

* * *

**A/N: **Oh god, date... Did I write it right?


End file.
